Energy
Transitioning to a world powered by renewable energy is key to tackling climate change. Here you can find the latest good news related to our clean energy transition, covering wind, solar, green hydrogen, hydropower, and more.
North Korea’s quiet revolution is powered by solar panels
A limited power grid and regular blackouts are a way of life in North Korea. Including in winter when freezing temperatures reduces hydropower capacity. Over the past year, foreign observers have been noticing an unusual sight on a growing number of residential buildings in the capital Pyongyang Read More...
French government study: 100% renewable power mix is economically attractive
France has long taken pride in its low-carbon intensive energy sector, which relies on nuclear power by up to 75% and natural gas. As the aging infrastructure requires upgrading, the decision to allocate future investments leaves much room for heated debate. Now, a controversial report from ADEME Read More...
The solar revolution is here now
No lengthy analysis can convey the sheer enormity of the global seismic event happening right now in the energy world. Solar power is taking over. TreeHugger has collected various graphs to capture it in a visual format. It makes for compelling Read More...
China cuts its coal imports by almost half in 12 months
China is the world’s biggest carbon emitter. It has also been the biggest consumer of coal so far. The news that China’s imports of coal dropped by 42% in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year should prick up everybody’s ears. China’s economic slowdown is Read More...
Spain on track to be the first net carbon zero G-20 nation
Spain has been investing heavily in wind farms and, more controversially, nuclear, with stark results: last month it generated 69 percent of its electricity from plants that did not emit carbon dioxide. It has realistic prospects to reach 87 percent next year through planned investments in wind and Read More...
Germany successfully turns intermittent renewable power into a reliable flow
As the cost of solar panels keeps dropping and the market picks up, supported in some places by government mandates such as the Renewable Portfolio Standards in 29 states, incorporating intermittent power flow from renewables emerges as a major issue for grid operators. Until batteries come online Read More...
Ireland’s energy storage plant to boost grid's reliance on wind and solar up to 75%
Wind and solar energy has a main flaw: it is unpredictable. It is controlled by the sun and the wind—which have little consideration for the fluctuations of power demand based on predictable human activity. The promise of energy storage has been all the rage of late, including Tesla’s much Read More...
Trend towards consumers’ energy self-sufficiency is about to disrupt the utility model
Technology advances and declining costs for both rooftop solar and energy storage are the conditions for the perfect storm that will soon make utilities obsolete, according to the new report by the Rocky Mountain Institute, an influential energy policy think tank. “New customers will find Read More...
Germany’s Solar Village produces four times the energy it consumes
Global investment in solar energy has been soaring while the cost of solar has been tumbling, yet we barely have scratched the surface of what’s possible. A German development of 52 homes and some commercial buildings that was built over the past decade near Freiburg, currently generated four Read More...
Global investment in renewable energy grew 17% last year
Developing countries led the trend with a 36% surge at $131.3 billion, followed by China with $83.3 billion, according to a new study by the Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance. Solar and wind still dominate the field, although geothermal enjoyed Read More...